Glossary
Database: where information holds over time
A database organises information so it stays correct, findable and shareable. Its design determines what the application will be able to do for its entire life. Tables, keys, integrity constraints and indexes form its frame.
Organising in order to find
A database stores information according to an explicit model: tables, typed columns, keys that identify and relations that connect. Integrity constraints rule out inconsistent states, and indexes speed up frequent searches. The quality of the model decides speed and correctness for the entire life of the application.
- Tables, typed columns, identifying keys and relations
- Integrity constraints guarantee the data stays consistent
- Indexes speed up the most frequent searches
The four design decisions
The Computer Science programme has candidates model a complete database, from the interview with the business through to operational queries. The Data Science programme starts from existing databases and works on extraction: joins, aggregations and preparing a dataset ready for analysis.
- 01
1 — The entities
What the business genuinely handles: customer, order, asset, intervention.
- 02
2 — The relations
What connects those entities, and how many occurrences are allowed on each side.
- 03
3 — The constraints
What must remain true at all times, expressed in the database rather than in code.
- 04
4 — The access paths
The frequent searches, which drive the choice of indexes and the shape of the queries.
Programmes that have you model
2 catalogue programmes put “Database” to work: 300 credits and 3000 taught hours in total. The official rule holds throughout — one credit stands for 25 hours of work, 10 of them taught. Every line below is recomputed from the programme page: level, duration, credits, taught volume and fees in Guinean francs appear exactly as filed in the official catalogue.
| Programme | Level | Duration | Volume | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science programme — Bac+3 level | Bachelor's degree | 3 years | 180 credits · 1800 taught hours | 5 400 000 GNF per year |
| Data Science programme — Bac+5 level | Master's degree | 2 years | 120 credits · 1200 taught hours | 7 200 000 GNF per year |
Quick answers
Do you need to program in order to model?
Modelling belongs to business analysis. The Computer Science programme installs both: the model first, the code afterwards.
Which query language is taught?
The standard relational language, worked from simple queries through to the joins and aggregations used in analysis.
Is the subject shared across programmes?
Yes: computer science, data science, business intelligence and web development each return to it from their own angle.
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